Method of producing woven-reed articles.



' M. B. LLOYD. METHCD 0F PRODUCTN G: WOVEN REED ARTiCLES.

APPLICATION FLLED JULY 17, 1917.

- Patented Mar. ,1919; I

'LQQBQQQ.

x. a a J invented a certain new, use

tion is to further simplify,

MARSHALL n. LLOYD, or mENomINEE, MICHIGAN.

- METHOP OF PBODUGING WOVEN-REED ARTICLES.

application filed July 17, 1917. Serial No. 151,055.

To all whom it may concern: I

, Be it known that I, MARSHALL B. LLOYD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Menominee, State. of Michigan, havg ful, and Improved Method of Producing Woven-Reed Articles, of which the following is a spec fi-' cation.

My invention relates generally to the production of reed articles and relates more particularly to the production of reed articles having a frame.

Until recent date in the production of such reed articles as have a supporting frame, it has been the universal practice to weave the reed fabric directly upon and thereby secure it to the article frame. Applicant proceeds upon an entirely new principle and weaves the fabric independent, f the frame in a manner convenient for the weaving operation and then secure the Woven fabric to the article frame. This novel method of procedure is not here claimed broadly since it is the subject of other applications of which applicants application Serial No. 109,714 is an example and by reference to which a thorough understanding of the method of operating and the advantages to be gained will be better understood. Suflice it here to state that by this method freedom of action is secured which greatly simplifies, cheapens and often'improves reed articles;

The general object of the present invenfacilitate the manufacture of reed articles under the method before referred to;

Further objects of the invention are to eliminate waste; to rovide a method wherewith articles of di cult shape can be produced rapidly even by'unskilled workers and generally to. reduce the hitherto highly individualistic weaving of each reed fabric upon each article frame to a factory method of weaving and assembling in the most convenient or acceptable manner.

My invention consists generally in the acts and sequences thereof whereby 'the above named objects together with others which will appear hereinafter are attainable and my invention will be more readily understood by reference to the drawings which illustrateisteps in the production of two different articles embodying my invention. I

Specification of Letters ratent.

cheapen and Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

In'said drawings-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an arm chair, the top of which 18 tabs covered with reed fabric.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of reed fabric for use in producing the article of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 1s a top plan view of the fabric shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the fabric of Figs. 2 and 3.

Fig. .5 is a view of the fabricshown in Fig 4.- applied to the chair frame. I Fig.6 is a perspective view of a plurality of drawers which are to be covered with reed under my method.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a reed fabric for use in producing the drawers of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the fabric shown in Fig. 7 and I Fig. 9 illustrates the fabric applied to the drawers. v l

Fig. 10 illustrates the finished single drawer. r 4 v As illustrative of the present invention I have chosen to depict the production of two different types. of articles. One article is an armchair upper and the other a drawer. It should be understood that these articles are chosen by way of illustration and not by Way of limitation. I shall first describe the production of the chair and then the production of the drawer.

In the production of the chair I produce in any sultable manner, a plurality of chair frames A, of desired size and configuration.

One such chair frame is shown in Fig. 1 v

wherein 2 is the seat, 3 the legs, 4 the mem- 'ber forming the back, 5 the front supports and 6 members connecting front and back members, 4 and 5. I shall not describe the construction of the chair in detail as it forms the subject matter of another application Serial Number 181,053. Suffice it for the present to state that the fabric necessary-t0 form the back and sides of the chair upper is substantially U-shaped. Such a shapeis difficult to produce under prior methods because it requires a to and fro movement in the weaving operation, to wit: from one extreme of the U to the other. With my method, the manufactureof articles of this, shape as well as of other shapes is greatly simplified and cheapened. Instead of manufacturing a fabric initially of the desired U faric of necessary or desired configurationand of a size suiiicient to cover a plurality of articles and then sever the fabric into parts each of a size to cover a single article.

For the production of the chair top or upper illustrated, I produce a tubular fabric A0, having slightly tapering sides as illustrated, in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, and of such size that i one half thereof will furnish sullicient fabric for a single chair upper. Then severthe fabric as along the lines mm"of Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, thus producing two 'U-shaped fabrics, one of which is illustrated in Fig. 4:

and marked 11. This divided U-shaped fabric 11 is thenplacecl within the chair frame as indicated by dotted lines Fig. l andby full lines in ig 5', and secured thereto in a suitable manner. As a matter 'of .factyin this instance it is placed within the frame and portions folded over theframe,' .more" being folded over the sides thanbver the bark inorder to form a proper arm. I 1

Another 'chair top'is' completed in the same manner, using; the other half otiithe fabric. Byproducing anendless fabricy t e weaving opcrationis greatly facilitated iin asnmch as the direction of weayeis always the same so that the filierstrand can be placed in regular convolutions as the stakes and ureter-med f bric'are rotated. It isalso possible by operating in this manner to secures taper on the fabric which could not be secured if a single tubular fabric were, produced to complete the chair upper. I"

the manufacture of another article under my method.

more accurately for the side portions or faces of the drawer. To this end, instead of operating upon a single article in the hitherto usual manner, I operate upon and produce the fabric for a plurality of articles. 1

Thus, in Fig. 6, 30 represents aplurality of similar drawers which in this instance,

are substantially rectangular in form, havinga suitable frame composed of a bottom 31, a top frame, 3.2,and connecting standards, 33. This construction provides a plurality cl panels or spaces, 34', to be covered with reed fabric. To provide a fabric for these drawers I produce an endless or tubular fabric. 35 (see Figs-8; and?) t'heperimeter of which is equal to the perimeter of the outer part'o'f the drawer, and the height line, Fig. 8) an lnthis instance it is desirable to provide reed-covering for a drawer, or

' of which is substantially eiiualto the-combined heights of the drawers when placed in intimate superposed relation, as shown in Fig. 6. The tubular fabricshown in this instance is of circular shape because I find that it is generally much easier to weave the fabricin that form.v Having produced the fabricbfdesire'd height and size, I apply pressureto it causing it to assume a substantially rectan ular shape '(see dotted when so conditioned, I place itover the drawers'so that the fabric covers completely all'of the sidefaces of the respective drawers as shown in Fig.9.. The

next step is that of securing the fabric per- .manently to the drawer sides and this may be done in various ways as for, exampleby means of tacks, brads, or other suitable fas teningdevices which'pass through the reed fabric. In thismanner a plurality of draw- -ers are coveredwith reed fabric, but they 3 have now been secured together against re- I moval, whereas in use each drawer 1s a separate article and should be adapted for independent use; To this end,zI sever the fabric completely around itsperimcter between the adjacent drawers as indicated at 4:1 in Fi 9. Lhave thus freed the drawers from their dependent condition and have provided 'a plurality of independentdrawers each properly covered with a reed covering permanently and accurately secured to its side .faces as desired. I do nothere claim in detail this drawer structure or method of producing it inasmuch as this forms the subject matter of another application. The completed drawer isshown in Fig. 10..

It will be noted'that both the examples above given are characterized by similar "stepsand procedure which will be found of great help in the production ofmany articles of difierent kinds and of which the examples here given are thought to be sulfisize and "character suitable for covering. a

pluralityot' articles and that'the fabricis severed to form a plurality of portidns each of which is used in covering a singleaiticle. Inasmuch as this disclosure will readily suggest to others skilled in the art to which this appertains, modifiedmethods whereby the. substantial benefits of my invention may be attained, I do not wish to be limited to the precise acts, steps or stated sequence thereof, except only as may be necessary by limitations in the hereunto appended claims I claim? u 1. The herein described method of producing woven read articles which consists in providing" a pluralityof article frames, providinga tubular reed fabric of a size sulficient to cover a plurality of said frames, and

- ciently illustrative.- It should benoted also that in both instances the method contents one part and one frame shall have an inclosing relation affected by the contour of the part.

,ducing Woven reed articles which consistsin providing a plurality of article frames, pl'O- riding atubular reed fabric of a size sufficient to cover a plurality of frames, severing the fabric to form a plurality of parts, and in using said parts to-cover different article frames so that at least one part and one .frame shall have an inclosing relation affected-by the contour of the part.

3. T h'e herein described method of producing-"woven reed articles which consists in providing a plurality of article frames,

providing an endless or tubular reed fabric of a size sufficient to cover a plurality of said frames and in uslng U-shapcd portions of said fabric for different article frames.

4. The herein described method of producing woven reed articles which consists in providing a plurality of article frames, providing an endless or tubular reed fabric of a size suiiicient to cover a pluralityof said frames, severing the, fabric to, form a plurality of U-shaped fabrics and in using said fabrics to cover different frames.

5. The method of producing woven reed articles having a tapering reed fabric which 2. The herein describedmethod of pro}- consists in providing a plura11ty (if-article frames, providing an endless or tubular reed fabric of tapering form and of a size sufficient to cover a plurality of said frames,

and in using part of said fabric for one frame and part for another. frame so that i at leastone part and one frame shall have an inclosing relation affected by the contour 4 of the part.

6. The method of producing woven reed articles whichv conslsts in providing two article frames, providing an "endless or tub'ular reed fabric of a size, sufiicient to cover 4 both frames, severing the fabric to produce two U-shaped fabrics, and in securing one U-shaped fabric to each frame.

7. The method of producing woven reed articles having a tapering reed fabric which consists in providing two article frames, providing an endless or tubular reed fabric of tapered form and of a size sufficient to cover both frames, severing the fabric to produce two U-shaped fabrics, and in secur- 1 mg one U-shaped' fabric to each frame. I

In testimony thereof, I have hereunto set myhand, this 22nd dayv of June, 1917, in

' the presence of tivosubscribing witnesses.

MARSHALL LLOYD. 

